Agenda item

The report gives a comprehensive overview of the Council’s work on solar power and community energy, and the role it plays in delivering the Council’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the borough by 2030.

Tim Pryce (Climate Emergency- Energy Lead) and Mark Thomlinson (Climate Engagement Lead) gave a presentation of the Council’s work on solar power and community energy, and the role it played delivering the Council’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the borough by 2030. They showed slides which covered the following aspects.

• Most of the borough’s emissions came from energy used in buildings.
• Details of the net zero energy roadmap
• Benefits of solar photovoltaics and solar thermal
• Actions to grow solar energy within the borough (projects and polices)
• Details on solar energy on housing, corporate assets, and schools
• An overview of solar re-use and recycling, and related policy development
• How community energy can engage the public in the green transition

Etta Dale (Solar Development Manager, Repowering London) gave a presentation which provided an overview of the Council’s partnership with Repowering London to establish the borough’s first community energy group, Hammersmith & Fulham Community Energy (HFCE), which enabled residents to become involved in solar schemes across the borough. These community energy schemes stretched beyond reducing carbon emissions, with examples from elsewhere in England showing they could tackle fuel poverty, generate wider interest in climate action, and build resilience by strengthening the sense of community among residents.

Repowering London currently had eight established community energy co-operatives across London involving more than 650 investors and 60 local volunteers and directors reaching hundreds of children and young adults each year. They also offered training, mentoring and work experience opportunities that empowered the residents of London to become active and engaged citizens. Thus, they were helping to build both an energy and a social infrastructure.

Councillor Stala Antoniades thanked Etta Dale for her presentation, noting that this was a great cause being put forward.  She asked for further details to be provided on the progress of the Energy Local Roupell Park (ELRP) project in Brixton. In response Etta Dale explained that this was a new initiative available to residents living on Roupell Park Estate in Brixton. This was an opportunity to save money on your electricity bill while supporting clean solar energy generated on the rooftops of Roupell Park Estate. She noted that Repowering London had an ongoing partnership with Octopus energy and provided an outline of how the traffic and charges for electricity were applied.

Relating to the social housing retrofit strategy, Councillor Jose Afonso queried if there was scope to offer this as a trial on a specific estate within the borough for those residents to benefit from this initiative. Tim Pryce (Climate Emergency- Energy Lead) said that this could be considered as part of the wider retrofit social housing strategy. He outlined the limitations the Council faced, noting that there was currently no mechanism to sell electricity directly to residents.

The Chair asked how Repowering London was positioned within the larger industry for solar panels where rogue trading was still a cause for concern. Etta Dale felt that the industry had improved in the more recent years, however there were still many challenges being identified. She highlighted that Repowering London had been working closely with its own trusted supplier for 8 years who also provided an operations and maintenance service to Repowering London.

The Chair asked if there was potential for Repowering London to expand its relationship with the current supplier to include domestic installations. Etta Dale commented that this was currently being progressed as a key consideration within the retrofit work that was already being carried out by Repowering London.

The Chair commented that there were many challenges faced due to the shortage of skilled workers and asked for further details to be provided on the training programme executed. Etta Dale commented that she was pleased to note that Repowering London were working with Newham College on apprenticeships. She provided details of how this would work, highlighting that community instals would be provided to Newham College to give students an opportunity to work on these.

A resident thanked the Chair for the invite to the Committee. She asked how resident engagement would be carried out within the community. Etta Dale provided an overview of how engagement within the local community would be executed, noting that this would take place in collaboration with volunteer led co-operatives. There was also funding available for public engagement events. In addition, information  leaflets would also be made available to local food banks and residents.

The Chair thanked officers for their presentations and the members of the public in attendance. She noted that she was very excited by the development of this initiative and requested that this be amplified as much as possible and requested that members be kept updated of any community engagement events.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee:

1.    Noted and comment on the report.

2.    Gave feedback on the strategy, progress, and priorities.